Olympic Moments

“There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end. They have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. And finally of course, there are times that are cold, and cutting and empty, times when the spring of new beginnings seems like a distant dream. Those rhythms in life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night, bringing, not messages of hope and fear, but messages of how things are.” – Chogyam Trungpa

The true joy of the Olympics is witnessing the fruition and culmination of hard work, commitment and perseverance. Effort, focus and sacrifice win the day, no matter the medal. Potential is transformed into reality, not from luck, fairness or entitlement but from having a dream and vision and the willingness to risk it all and to pursue it with every fiber that’s within.

When Nicole Pikus-Pace won the silver medal in skeleton yesterday, she climbed into the stands to celebrate with her family – they all won the medal. The silver was her gold. Her joy and enthusiasm radiated. Today, Matt Antoine just won the bronze medal in skeleton – he’s the brother of one of my co-workers. It’s been awesome to watch the joy of their journey play out. Jeremy Abbott fell hard in his  ice skating routine, yet he had the courage to go back out, with no hope of a medal, and finish his Olympics with an outstanding performance. The fall was yesterday. Today is a new canvas to paint on.

And these stories show us the potential that is waiting for fruition in each one of us, if we dare. And while we may never get to the Olympics, we all have Olympic moments. When we lay it all on the line, give our best and never hold back, we win the gold.